Extraordinary abandoned buildings

The prison at Hasselt in Flanders was built in 1855 on the recommendation of
the inspector general of prisons, Edouard Ducpetiaux. It is one of the first
to be planned as a collection of cells and not as a "lunatic asylum"
where prisoners were arbitrarily detained. Back to back, the cells spread
out in four wings around a central octagonal base, home to an observation
post. A hundred prisoners could be accommodated there. The increasingly
obsolete institution closed in 2005, to be replaced by a more modern
detention centre. Now under restoration, it is hoped that the prison will be
able to keep its distinctive features and become a reception centre for the
government and Hasselt University Faculty of Law.